This is one of Thomas Nastís most powerful and effective political cartoons, and one of his personal favorites. The timing of its publication coincided with major Union victories: General William Tecumseh Sherman in Atlanta, General Philip Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, and Admiral David Farragut in Mobile Bay. President Abraham Lincolnís campaign managers blanketed the country with posters made from the cartoon. It was widely considered to be a significant propaganda factor in turning the tide of the - campaign toward Lincolnís reelection.